Photo-composing machine



Aug. 1, 1933. H. c. JoNE s rn 'ro-cmosme momma Filed Feb. 26, 1927 3Sheets-Sheet 1 avwentoi fi/rkzy fryzwe.) 351 flame/1 Aug. 1, 1933. H. c.JONES 1,920,399

rnowo-comrosme momma Filed Feb. 26; 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 1, 3 H. c.JONES PHOTO-COMPOSING MACHINE Filed Feb. 26, 1927 3 Sheets-SheetPatented Aug. 1, 1 933 UNITED STATES, PATENT orricr.

1,920,399 Y rno'ro-oomosmo mormm Q may 0. Jones, New York, N. Y.Application February 26, 1927. Serial No. 171,121;

37 Claims. (CI. 95-76) This invention relates to photo-composingmachines using a sensitized press plate in con nection with anegative'carrying frame and a lamp.

Such machines are usually of a ponderous type, occupying Considerablespace, and contain certain parts, which must function with positiveprecision, resulting inan'assembIa'ge so expensive to produce as todeter extensive use. The term "negative", as used throughout thisapplication, is to beunderstood as referring to any transparent ortranslucent substance, as glass, celluloid and analogous compounds,paper and textile fabrics treated to permit the passage of light, etc.etc. bearing images, scribed, written, drawn or depositedphotographically, of any objects whatsoever, or having the objectsattached in such manner as to be. reproduced by photoprinting.

It is therefore one of the objects of the invention to provide astructure of such simplicity that it can be manufactured at a reducedcost without in any way sacrificing accuracy, convenience and speed ofoperation, but on the other hand materially enhancing the same.

A further feature is to provide a press plate bed with means whereby itmay be moved in parallel toward or from the negative, or the negativeframe moved relative to the bed.

Another object is in the provision of means whereby the negativecarrying frame and press plate may be independently moved with relationone to the .other while in vertical planes andcombination of partshereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings,forming a material part of this disclosure, and in which:--

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a machine embodying theinvention, certain parts being in side elevation. Y

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3. is a similarsectional view, looking rearward on line 3-3 ofFigure 1.

The frame of the machine consists of two hollow transverse base members15 and 16, respectively at the front and rear, the same being rig' idlyconnected by side bars 1'1, either integrally or otherwise as preferred.

Rising from the bases, near their ends are pairs of columns 18 and 19presenting inner parallel faces, the rear columns being slightly higherand of lesser lateral width. a

The rear columns are connected at their up- .per ends by a beam 20, hereshown as a rolled angle, the same extending past the columns at bothendsunequally, that at the right hand side of, the machine considerablyexceeding in' length the extension at the left.

The upright flange of this beam faces towards the front and has securedat its ends a pair of brackets 21 in which is mounted a guide bar 22, asthe shaft shown.

A similar beam 23, inc. lower plane, connects the front uprights 18 attheir outer top surfaces and is provided with brackets 24 at its ends'torigidly support a guide bar.25.

The bracket 24, at the shorter, left hand end of the beam, has a raisedportion 26 in which is revolubly mounted a shaft 27 screw threaded,except at its, bearings and provided beyond the bearing 26 with ahand-wheel 28 for manual 'adjustment, the shaft being normally driven bya clutch connection 29 with an electric motor 30 carried on a shiftablecarriage by which the lamp I mhy be dispensed with and the shaftactuated by the hand wheel alone and further, it is to be understoodthat any ordinary mechanical equivalents may be substituted by whichcorresponding results .in shifting the carriage transversely of themachine are attained. r The carriage consists of a rigid, preferablyintegral structure having four light uprights 35 arranged in the form ofa rectangle and single pair of similar uprights 36 spaced therefrom atthe front.

The lower ends of the uprights 36- are recessed to produce opposel lugsto straddle a transverse guide rail 37 on the upper surface of the frontbase member 15 andare held in rigid relation by a flanged brace 38between the uprights ad.- iacent the rail;-

The. lower ends of the frame uprights 35 are similarly recessed to beguided by tracks 39 extending between the side bars 17 and are heldfirmly in proper relation by a brace 40.

The uprights 35 and 36v are shown as integral with cross beams 41 attheir upper ends, joined 110 at the rear by a transverse beam 42 and atthe front by a similar beam as.

Extending angularly outward from the ends of the beams 42 and 43 arebracket bearings 44 and 45 bored to receive the bars 22 and respectivelyand by which the entire carriage frame and elements'attached to it aresuspended, the lower portions being merely guided, not supported.

In order to more effectively guide the carriage on its runways a pair ofoutwardly and upwardly extending arms 46-47 are attached to uprights and36, these uprights carrying bearings at their upper extremities toincrease the distance between the points of support on bars 22 and 25respectively and to add strength and firmness to the frame when anystrain is imposed thereon.

At the foot of one of the uprights 36 is a bracket 48 on which is anelectric motor 49 arranged in an upright position and driving, through aclutch 50, a threaded vertical shaft 51 rotatable in bearings 52 and 53fastened on the upright 36.

The screw shaft 51 extends above the beam 41 and is provided with a handWheel 54; a

sprocket wheel 55 fixed on the shaft 51 below the wheel, drives a chain56 trained over another sprocket wheel 57 fixed on the upper end of athreaded shaft 58 mounted in bearings 59 and 60 .attached to one of theuprights 35.

The motor 30 is arranged horizontally to rest on a bracketfil fixed onthe upper portion of one of the uprights 36 and it is to be understoodthat the motors, if used, are so controlled as to be run separately orconjunctively as desired.

Both pair of uprights 35 have, on their inside facing surfaces, raisedlongitudinal ribs extending their full length to act as guides for avertically slidable lamp housing support, the same .consisting of twopairs of slides and 66, respectively at the front and rear uprights, thesame being connected at their lower ends on each side by'cross pieces6'7 and at their upper ends by beams 68 'havinginreaching undercut faces69, these beams extending towards the front past the uprights 35.

slidably engaging the elements 69, to extend across from one to theother, are a pair of hanger rails 70 having down-reaching brackets 71and 72, to supportingly engage a lamp housing 73, the same beingpreferably a sheet metal casing in the shape of a truncated cone ofrectangular cross section disposed on a horizontal axis with its basetowards the negative.

This housing contains a lamp, as indicated in Figure 3, of any-preferredtype, the same being accessible through a hinged door 74 in its'side;however the lamp may be used without a housing if the sensitized platebe adequately protected by curtains or otherwise.

From the foregoing it is to be understood that the lamp housing, as aunit with the hanger rails I '70, may be movedby hand forward and backwithout interference with any other part of the structure andirrespective of the height at which it may be positioned. Verticaladjustment of the lamphousing support is provided for by a bracket 75rigidly fixed on one of the front slides 65, the outer end of thebracket being bored and threaded to agree with the screw 58, which, ashas been explained, may be actuated by power orhand, due to the chainandsprocket connection with the screw.

shaft 51. i

The shaft 51 is directly engaged in the-screw threaded portion of asimilar bracket 'ld fixed on one of the lateral edges of a negativeframe carrier 209, (see Figure 1), the same being slidably engagedbetween guides on the inner faces of the forward uprights 36 and whichobviously will be moved. up and down in substantial synchronism with thelamp housing, the negative frame carrier being described in detailfurther on.

Extending from the inner faces of the forward columns 18, 18, are twopairs of bars and slidably mounted on the bars isa rectangular frameconsisting of sides 81 connectedat the bottom 82 and top 82'. i

The negative frame carrier 200, which may be of. any appropriate size,is placed on a carrier frame and having at its edges a raised, rearward-1y extending marginal rim 202 provided at its outer edge with lightobscuring, marginal cushions- 203 against which the corresponding baseedge of the lamp housing seats, making tight contact and preventing raysfrom the lamps from passing outward other than through the flange on thebeam 23 are brackets 87 carrying pivots 88 on which are eccentricallymounted cam discs 89, provided with operating handles 90 by which theymay be rotated, the peripheries of the discs being in operativeengagement with the caps on the ends of the bars 86 insuch manner as tocommunicate motion to them, both up and down, and thence, by reason ofthe arms 85, cause the pins 84 to move in the slots 83', thus moving theframe 8182 forward or back upon its supports 80.

Obviously the disc cams 89 may be replaced by other equivalentmechanical devices, as for instance screws, and it is equally apparentthat the frame 8l82 maybe shifted bodily by any other preferred devicethan that indicated.

Journalled at 92 to the frame sides 81, near their lower ends, are strapbrackets 93 connecting the frame 94 of a bed plate 95, the same beingsupported, when. in a horizontal position, by foldable legs 96 as shownin Figure 1.

When the bed is folded upward in a vertical position between the framesides it is held by spring clips 97 carried at the upper ends of theframe, the same engaging in corresponding elements 98 on the outer edgeof the bed.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the bed plate is movable withthe frame 8182 towards .or away from the negative frame, in any positionin which it may be.

If motors beused separate controls for each V are provided, all beingconveniently accessible .to an operator, who can make final or completeadjustments by the hand-wheels.

The foregoing disclosure is to be regarded as descriptive andillustrative only, and not as re- "Havingthus described my invention,what I I stationary uprights rigidly held in spaced rela-' tion, an openframe movable between said uprights in a plane parallel with theirfaces, a press plate carried by said frame, and cam actuated means formoving said frame and plate towards and from the body of the machine.

2. In a photo-composing machine, a pair of fixed uprights, an open framemovable horizontally therebetween, a plate bed hinged at a point beyondits extreme lower edge in said frame to swing into horizontal andvertical positions, and cam means for manually actuating said framewhereby the plate bed may be adjusted towards and from the body of themachine when .in a vertical position.

3. In a photo composing machine, a negative carrier frame, a lamp, railson which said frame and lamp are simultaneously slidable in horizontalplanes, means for raising and lowering said rails whereby the frame andlamp aremoved as a unitinto different vertical planes, said frame andlamp being normally in juxtaposition, and meansfor retracting said lampfrom the frame without change in their axial position.

4. In a photo composing machine, a negative frame, a lamp, heightadjustable horizontal support rails on which said frame and lamp aremaintained in axial registration irrespective of movement imparted tothem, means for moving said frame and lamp co-incidentally, and meansfor moving said lamp away from said frame.

5. In a photo-composing machine having corner supports carryingtransverse beams, said beams extending past the supports, rails on theinner sides of said beams, a carriage suspended fromsaid rails, saidcarriage having outrigger arms on one side engaging the rails, a framemovable vertically on said carriagaa' negative carrying frame movable insynchronism with said frame, and a lamp supported in said frame to movetowards and away from said negative carrying frame.

6. In a photo-composing machine having a column at each of its fourcorners, rails carried by said columns transversely of the machine, acarriage movable on said rails, said carriage having uprights presentingvertical guides, a frame movable on said guides, a lamp carried by saidframe, a negative frame co-related with the slidable frame, means formoving said carriage, and

means for moving the negative frame and slideble frame synchronously. l

7. In a photo-composing machine, the combination of an. upright bodyframe, a negative holder, means for independently shifting said holderhorizontally and vertically with respect to the body frame, a sensitizedplate supporting bed, means for securing said bed in a position parallelwith said negative holder, and means to move said had towards and awayfrom said holder.

-8. In a photo composing machine, a plurality to the other, a supportfor a printing member mounted to reciprocate on one of said tracks, aholder mounted to reciprocate on the other of said tracks, and twodistinct driving mechanisms independently mounted on said frameassociated respectively with said support and said holder.

10. In a photo-composing machine having a rigid upright frame, anegative holder movable vertically and horizontally in said frame, aplate bed hinged at its lower edge to swing into horizontal and verticalpositions, and cam actuated means to move said bed in planes parallelwith said holder when in a vertical position.

11. In a photo-composing machine having a rigid upright frame, anegative holder movable vertically and horizontally in said frame, a bedframe, a plate bed hinged to its bottom edge to swing into horizontaland vertical positions in said bed frame, camactuated means for movingsaid bed frame forward and back in planes parallel to said holder' whenin a vertical position,

and horizontal positions, a negative holder and ,a lamp, said holder andlamp being actuated cooperatively in planes parallel with the'face 'ofsaid bed when in a vertical position, and cam actuated means foradjusting said bed towards and away from said holder when in a verticalposition. v

14. In a photo-composing machine a single pair of uprights, one of saiduprights having guides on its inner face, a slide movable vertically onsaid guides, a negative frame rigidly carried bysaid slide, means foradjusting said frame towards and from the faces of said uprights, a

plate bed hinged at one edge in said negative frame to move therewith,apair of fo'iciable legs to support said bed when horizontal, andautomatic means to retain the bed when vertically positioned.

15. In a photo-composing machine having an upright frame, parallel railsextending hori zontally rearward from said' frame, a bed for sensitizedplates, a negative frame, a lamp, said negative frame and lamp beingactuated coopertively in planes parallel with the face of said bed onsaid rails toward and away from said upright frame, and means for movingsaid bed in planes parallel with said frame.

16. In a photo-composing machine having uprights at its corners,transverse beams connecting said uprights and extending there'beyond, an

open rectangular frame slidable on the rear pair of said uprights, aplate bed arranged to swing toward and from said frame, a negative frameand lamp housing, means to actuate said frame and housing simultaneouslyinplanes parallel with the face of said bed, tracks to support saidhousing, means to move said lamp. housing remotely from said frame whileretaining its regis-' tered relation therewith, and means to move saidvbed in a plane parallel with the frame.

17. A photoeeomposing machine comprising in combination, a rigid uprightstand, a negative frame movable toward and from said stand, a

sensitized plate carrying bed hinged to the frame, means to space saidplate bed in predetermined parallel positions with the negative frame,and

means to adjust the negative frame while in a actuate said holder towardand from said bed.

19. A photo-composing machine comprising four columns forming a rigidupright support, a hollow rectangular frame sl-idably mounted in two ofsaid columns, means t6 actuate said frame toward and from the columns, anegative holder carried by said frame, a sensitized plate bed, means tomove sensitizedplate bed into contact with said negative holder andmeans for spacing the negative holder a predetermined distance from asensitized plate on said bed.

20. A photo-composing machine comprising fixed corner uprights, beamsconnecting the upper ends of said uprights in paired relation,

pairs of studs extending horizontally outward from one pair of theuprights, a bed hinged in said frame at the bottom edge thereof andadapted to carry sensitized plates, a negative holder, means to bringthe negativeholder and sensitized plate bed into contact, and means tomove said negative holder into predetermined positions relative to saidsensitized plate bed.

'21. In a photo-composing machine of the vertical type having'uprights,a rail fixed to said uprights near their tops, a carriagehanging from and movable horizontally on said rail, means near thebottoms of said uprights to guidesaid carriage, verticalguides in saidcarriage, and a negative holder slidable in said guides.

22. In a photo-composing machine having two rigid uprights, horizontalrails connecting said uprights near their tops and bottoms, a carriageslidable on said rails, a negative holder slidable vertically in saidcarriage, a bed in the machine,

a press plate on said bed, and means to move a negative in said holderinto and out of contact with saidpress plate.

23. In a photo-composing machine of the vertical type, a horizontaltrack on the machine near its top, a frame movable on said track and aguide at the bottom of the machine engaged by the lower end of saidframe.

24. In a photo-composing machine of the vertical type, horizontal trackson the machine n'ear its'top and bottom, a'negative carrier supportedfrom near its top on the upper track and guided by the lower track, andmeans for moving, said carrier horizontally on said track.

25. In a photo-composing machine of the vertical type, two stationarytracks on the ma chine respectively at its top and bottom, a carriage,and means forn'ioving said carriage horizontally on said tracks.

26. In a photo-composing machine of the vertical type, a stationary railon the machine, a carriage movable on said rail, a guide bar spacedbelow said rail to engage the bottom of said carriage and means formoving said carriage horizontally on said'rail.

eeaeee 27. In a photo-composing machine of the vertical type havinguprights, a stationary rail fixed near the tops of said uprights, asecond rail fixed near their bottoms, said rails being horizontal, anegative carrier supported from near its top on the first named rail,and means for moving said carrier on said rails;

28. In a photo-composing machine of, the vertical type, a horizontalrail fixed on the upper part of the machine, a carrier supported by andmovable undersaid rail, and a rail in the lower part of the machine toprevent said carrier from swinging out of register with said rail.

29. In a photo-composing machine of the vertical type, a stationary railin the lower part of the machine, a negative carrier movablehorizontally on said support rail, and means for keeplng said carrier inan upright position.

30. In a photo-composing machine 01 the ver-- its top and bottomrespectively, a frame movable on said tracks, and a vertically movablenegative holder in said frame. 1

32. In a photo-composing machine of the vertical type, stationaryrails'on the machine, a carriage movable on said rails: means for movingsaid carriage horizontally on. said rails, and a vertically movablenegative holder in said carriage. 33. In a photo-composing machine ofthe vertical type, two stationary tracks on the machine disposedrespectively at the top and bottom thereof, a carriage, means for movingsaid carriage horizontally on said tracks, and a vertically movablenegative holder in said carriage.

34. In aphoto-composing machine of the vertical type having uprights, astationary rail fixed near the tops of said uprights, a second railfixed near their bottoms, said rails being horizontal, a negativecarrier supported from near its top on the first named rail, means formoving said carrier on said rails, and a vertically movable negativeholder in said carriage. i

35. In a photo-composing machine of the vertical type, a stationary.rail in the lower part'of the machine, a negative carrier movablehorizontally on said rail, mean including a stationary rail at thebottomof the rrjachine for keeping said carrier in an upright position,. and alamp combined with said negative holder. 4

36. In a photo-composing machine of the vertical type, a horizontaltrack on the machine near its top, a second horizontal track on themachine at its bottom, a frame movable on the upper track and guided bythe lower track, a vertically movable negative holder in said frame, anda lamp combined with said negative holder.

37. In a photo-composing machine of the vertical type, a horizontaltrack on the machine near its top, a second horizontal track on themachine at its bottom, said tracks being parallel a negative carriersupported from near, its top on the 'upper track and guided by the lowertrack, means for moving said carrier horizontally on said tracks,andalamp combined with-said negative holder.

HARRY c. JONES.

